UU Identity 0809
UU Identity is the theme for the 2008/2009 RE year. We choose programs from national resources as well as homegrown ideas that best fit our goals and engage our children. Children’s (Preschool — 5th grade) classes are offered simultaneous to the adult services at 9:00 and 11 a.m. The teen program is offered at the 11 a.m. service only.
Our age groups are:
Nursery
The T.Berry Brazelton Infant Cuddle Room has rocking chairs and infant toys, and is connected to the sanctuary with a pulpit speaker and window. Parents and infants/ toddlers may stay together and hear the sermon
Preschool
For ages 2-5 years. “Chalice Children” — Learning about being in a UU community through fingerplays, sharing circle games, and songs.
K-2nd
“Spirit of Adventure” — Katie challenged herself to write a curriculum for active children. While learning about UU’s who have changed the world, children try engaging activities such as building a graham cracker cantilever (Frank Lloyd Wright, UU architect), taking apart a computer (Tim Berners-Lee, UU father of the Internet), dramatizing skits on the Civil War (Clara Barton, Universalist founder of the American Red Cross), and learning safety skills (Elizabeth Blackwell, first woman physician).
3rd-5th
“Traditions with a Wink” — Another of Katie’s national curriculum, this one teaches our UU traditions with the fun which keeps middle schoolers coming. Learn the classic “evolution” game and impress your YRUU brothers and sisters, make an advertisement for yourself a la Universalist Lydia Pinkham’s 18th c. medicine bottles. Check out other UU congregations on the web. Try the “black box” experiment and find out how to live with mystery.
Introduction — from “Spirit of Adventure”
“What! No more gold sprayed macaroni bible verses!?” smiled a minister who heard I was writing a curriculum for active children. His joke illustrated the culture of Sunday school activities from our Protestant heritage. Religious education has been defined by fine motor activities and table crafts, intimate personal sharing in a sharing circle, and with non-competitive exploration. I’d like to add different kinds of learning, the learning from physical movement and the learning from challenge and adventure.
I challenged myself to write a curriculum that teaches UU identity without the usual arts and crafts projects. I’ve included activities like dissecting a computer, building cantilevered architecture using graham crackers, interviewing a sports coach, eating smoked oysters, and singing Jingle Bells in “dog” language! There are also circus arts, an Animal Blessing, and a Popcorn Sale. Bring those active busy children in and watch them be amazed!
Along the way, I’ve discovered some omissions in the way we teach our faith. For instance, we’ve missed sports as a valuable way to translate our Purposes and Principles for children. Good sportsmanship and teamwork offer important parallels to the UU way of being in the world. Sports are the first theme of this curriculum.
The other themes that I have used to teach our UU Identity are:
Medicine
Taking care of others and keeping each other safe. Learning the stories of Elizabeth Blackwell, Clara Barton and Albert Schweitzer.
Food
Using science to prepare food and nurturing others. Learning the stories of Fannie Farmer and Henry Bergh.
Winter Holidays
Being kind and generous. Learning the stories of Charles Dickens and James Pierpont.
Science
Using reason. Being curious. Learning the stories of Tim Berners-Lee, Maria Mitchell and Alexander Graham Bell.
Building
Being creative. Learning the stories of Frank Lloyd Wright, Daniel Chester French and Peter Cooper.
Exploring
Trying new things. Learning the stories of Vilhjalmur Stefansson and N.C.Wyeth.
Web of Life
Living simply. Loving animals. Learning the stories of PT Barnum, Beatrix Potter and Henry David Thoreau.
For more information, contact the Director of Religious Education, Katie Erslev.